Form-folding machine



Nov. 18, 1941.

4W. N. BRAY `ETAL FORM-FOLDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet l .//lvvE/v TURE.

SN N NQ RN SQ www www Nov. 18, 1941.

w. N. 'BRAYA ET AL.

FORM-'FOLDING' MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Num 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 5, 1940 NOV. 18, W N BRAY ETAL FORM-FOLDING MACHINE e sheets-sheet 4 Filed Jan. 5, 1940 igqll;

Nov. 1s, 1941. w, N, BRAY ETAL 2,262,792

FORM-FOLDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 756 F 1g. 1 5. mit] ,58 /NVENTURi (f5 xa-,W

Nov. 18, 1941. w. N. BRAY ET AL FORM-FOLDING MACHINE' Filed Jan. 5, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheei'l 6 .m v m Patented Nov. 18, 1941 2,262,792 l FORM-FOLDING MACHINE William Neil Bray and Thomas Gimson Husbands, Leicester, England, assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 5, 1940, Serial No. 312,542

In Great Britain January 18, -1939 18 Claims.

This invention relates to form-folding machines, and in particular to those designed for folding the straight edges of fancy leather goods, such as book covers, handbags, wallets and the like.

Machines of this type are sometimes arranged to elect the folding of margins of the work by means of a folding member which is mounted for movement through 180 to turn up the margin and carry it over against the work, and an important object is to provide an improved machine of this class in which pieces of work having edges longer than the operative portion of the machine may be folded without danger to the overhanging portions.

In carrying out this object and in accordance with a feature of the invention, the folding is effected by a member rotatable by means of, and supported for this movement in, carriers which are displaced with respect to the axis of turning movement. Preferably and as illustrated, a gage plate is displaceably associated with this folder so that it may project beyond the folder at the beginning of the operation and be displaced by contact with the work at the completion of the fold. Means is also provided for returning this gage plate to its initial position during the return movement of the folder.

In accordance with other features of the invention, the machine is provided with a creaser around which the margin of the work is folded and which is moved out of the way as the folding operation is completed. When the work to be treated has a backing member associated with' the work piece and around the edge of which the fold is to be made, it is necessary to gage the work by the edge of the backing piece rather than by the edge of the work itself. Still another feature of the invention resides in a power-operated arrangement for moving the folder which permits it to be raised to a position substantially normal to the work support and then stopped, thus permitting the operator to push the backing member against the folder as a gage, after .45

which the movement of the folder may be completed.

These and other features of the invention will now be described with reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken longitudinally of the machine to show the driving mechanism for the folder;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view on a larger scale and showing the connection of the driving mechanism to Athe folder;

Fig. 5 is a detail view taken in section on the line V--V of Fig. 4;

Fig, 6 is a section through the folder bar showing the attaching means therefor;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view at right angles to Fig. 6 to show the slotted connection of the gage plate to the folder;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation with parts removed and on a large scale to show the relation of the work-engaging elements to one another;

Fig. 9 is a bottom view of a portion of the holddown;

Fig. 10 shows the connection between the plate carrying the folder and the carrier for the creaser and illustrates how the creaser may be raised to inoperative position;

Fig. 11 is a detail view of the latch which limits the upward movement of the holddown;

Fig. 12 is a transverse section through the work table and shows a tensioned metal strip thereon;

Fig. 13 is a front-to-back section through the work table;

A Fig. 14 is a side elevation showing the clutch control mechanism;

Fig. 15 is a View on larger scale taken in Vertical section through the clutch and the drive Pulley;

Figs. 16 and 17 show the folding of plain work;

Figs. 18 to 20 illustrate the operation of fold- Iing work which has a backing piece; and

Figs. 21 and 22 show the folding of pieces of work which have projecting, raised overlays or straps. y

With a form-folding machine of this type, the work W (Figs. 16 to 20) is clamped in position on a table I0 by means of a holddown l2 and is folded around a line of fold I4 coincident with the edge of a creaser. I6 by means of a folder I8. This folder has associated with it a -displaceable edge gage 20 and is supported by a carrier 22 having rotationall movement 4in which the top face of the folder is turned through approximately This movement lifts the'margin of the work face to a vertical position and then continues through the balance of the 180 to press the margin against'the body of the work as the creaser i6 is moved out of the way. The machine structure includesL a base casting 24 (Figs. 2 and3) having sides 26 which are interconnected by means of an apertured vertical web 218 and a cover web 30.

The table is pivoted at 32 to posts 34 integral with the front corners of the frame, the inward edge of the table being -depressible against the tensionk of springs 36, and the uppermostl position of the table is determined by a stop screw 38 passing through the lower end of a depending arm '4'0 which is integral with the table. AIn handling different sorts of -Work,\it will be found desirable to be able to control the effectiveness of the springs 36 and, accordingly, each of these springs exten-ds between a hook 42 in the base (Fig. 2) and fingers 44 and 46 Vwhich are pivotally attached tothe vdepending arm 40 and are provided with .handlesy 4=8`by means of which the ngers may `be turned from a position in which the spring is almostinV a line between the hook 42 and the pivot 32, thereby having a short, effective turning moment, or to a position such as that of the linger 46 in which the point of attachment of the spring to the'depending arm 4,0 is very much lower in the machine and, fhence, has a greater turning moment.

The actual work,-supportingi1i-aceof` thetable is preferably constructed as .shown in Figs. jl, 12, and 13| and has a lpieceof 4rubber `50 countersunk in the surface ofthe table. Over this rubber thereis stretched, a veryA thin, metal coverstrip 52, one end of which is clamped to a projecting arm 54 at one sidegof the table (Fig. 1)

fby means of screws 56, While the -other end is held by screws 58 on aV shaft y60 pivoted in an arm 62 extending out-from the other kside of the table. rThis shaft60 is provided witha -lever 64 urged laterally to tighten the strip by means of aspring 66. Ifdesired, in order to-accomrnodate buckles yorA otherprojections in zthe Work to be folded, the -table I0, `the rubber, and the strip may have a central aperture A68 (Fig.12-).

The folding o-f the vmargin ofthe work piece W is effected by the folder I8 which is a flattened bar detachably `secured to the carrier '22 by square-headed screws 10, .so thateither the upper face I2 (Fig. 6), which is slightly inclined with respect to the surface 'of the work table, or the f normal face 74 may be employed, as `the-work conditions demand. It will be 4seen from Fig. 1

, that these screws are Aaccessi-ble*through apertures 'I6 Vin the front :face 4of the work table.

`The work ofdetaching and replacing this folding bar is facilitated vby providing additional threads 18 .near the ends -of .the -apertures so that r'the screws l0 will notbe whollyseparated :from the carrier b22 whenthey are. unscrewed from .the

Vfolder I 8.

'Ihe lcationof work .pieces with respect to the ycreaser I6 may'be'eiected by bringing the-edge ofthe work into contact with -a .gage .20 in the form of fa thin plate which is attached to the vfolder 'I-.8 Yby screwsf80 `passing through slots 82 yin ythis plate and surrounded by springs 84. This arrangement permits Vthe gage Yplate to slide with respect Vto the folder, so that when the folder completesl lits movement vof 2180to the position shownin Fig. 1'7, vthe gage plate will be auto'- matically displaced by contact'vvith the work on theta'ble. `With-this arrangement alone, Yhowever, the gage plate would Abe inoperative after onecyc'le if no provision were made .forreturning it to its normal position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. Accordinglyjthe machine .is provided .with .a

pair of arms 86, L88 ,whichV .arepivoted-upon .a rod 90 extending transversely'ofthe framenear the base.. 'The arms areheld up in operativelposition, where they lwill Contact with the gageplate 20 and return it to its normal position, by engagement with eccentricy disks 92 (Fig. 2) upon a crossrod 94 which is provided with a handle 96 at the right side of the machine, so that these eccentric disks may be turned to a position where they will no longer be effective to 'cause a replacement of the edge'gage 20.' The arms 86 and 88 are held against the veccentric disks by springs 68. To help the operator in turning the disks to just the desired position, the handle 06 is provided with a projecting pin |60 which will be brought into engagement with a fixed pin |02 on the frame when the parts arein their normal operative position, which is illustrated in Fig. 2.

Inasmuch as it is desired to make the machine luseful vfor pieces of work larger than the length of the folder I 8, it is not possible to provide simple pivots for the support of the folder because such pivots would have to be coincident with the line -of folld I4. We have, therefore, provided a mounting for the carrier 22, which gives the .desired .turning movement through 180v without interfering with laterally extending portions of the work. `Accordingly (Figs. land 5) thiscarrier has, at each end, outwardly extending trunnions IIO which pass through bearings in ymovable supporting plates kI I2 .and are provided with Acranks I I4., the lower ends of which .are slotted rfor a purpose which will later appear. The plates I-I2 each embrace circular veccentric blocks I-I 6 and I I8 which are fixed to shafts|2l0 and |22 extending across the machine and journalledin thesides 26 of the frame. These Y'eccentric blocks `I--I6 and H8 arer also arranged to-move together (Fig. 2) by a connecting .rod `|24 .attached tothe blocks by pins |26, and `at theforwlardV end of this rod is apin t28 having a flattenedportion |30 which enters the yslot `at the lower endof the crank II4, Y 'f 'Ihe shafts |20 and I.2`2.are each ,provided with pinio-ns engaging a segment |32 (Fig. 3), supported o-n cross-shaft |34 and'oscillatedby means of aconne'cting rod |36 Vsurrounding aneccentric |38 on a drive shaft |40. yItwill nbe' seen, therefore, that a single rotation ,of vthe driveshaftfis .effective to oscillate .the segment |32 and hence power supplied to a-.drivingpulley I 42,;.andoverthrow is prevented by supplying said shaft with-a brake dr-um |44 against Ywhich there presses a brake '|46 (Fig. 3.). The control of the .movement of the shaft |40 is Yeffected .by a v,clutch illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15and having a-clutch body |48in which there is a spring-pressed'slidl- A'ing pin |50' adapted to be `brought linto vengagement with one or the other of ystuds v'|52 in the driving-pulley. The sliding rod I li'hasadepen'd'- ing tail |54 adapted to be engaged to draw the pin back into the body I 48 yby meansof av cam |56 securedto a lever |158 Apivoted-at l|`60 in the side 26 of the frame. -The .clutch-lever v|58 maybe rotated against the tensionl o'f a'spring |62 by vpressing a clutch treadleinot shown) connected to a treadle rod |64, and this movement is limited by engagement-of .a pin l'66v with .they side |10 secured to "the side of' theframepQUrider against the holddown, so that when the holddown certain conditions, which will be pointed out later in describing the operation of the machine, it may be wished to stop the movement of the drive shaft |40 after it has turned 90. Accordingly, the clutch lever |58 is provided with another cam |12 which is drawn into the path of the tail |54 of the clutch bolt |50 whenever the treadle attached to the clutch lever is fully depressed. The release of the clutch treadle will then permit the drive shaft to complete a full rotation, whereupon the clutch bolt |50 will again be withdrawn by the cam |56. In case it is not desired to stop the rotation of the shaft at the end of 90, the treadle may be depressed and at once released, upon the shaft will be given a cornplete single revolution.

During the folding operation the work is held rmly in position on the table by means of the holddown I2 which comprises a bar extending transversely of the table and which is cut away at |80 to permit the creaser I6 to move out of the way, as indicated in Figs. 8 and 17. On the lower face of the holddown bar is a plurality of flat spring fingers |82 clamped in position on the bar by a screw-attached plate |84, thus assuring a firm clamping of the work piece even though it may not have a uniform thickness. The holddown is mounted on depending portions |86v of a tiltable subframe |88 (Fig. 2). The subframe is pivoted on the main frame of the machine at |90, and the holddown is normally raised away from the surface of the table by a spring |92 at the rear end of the machine, but it may be depressed into engagement with the work by movement of a clamp treadle (not shown) attached to a treadle rod |94. Normally the up-and-down movement of the subframe |88 is limited by a spring-pressed latch 200 (Fig. 11) which engages an adjustably mounted stop 202 carried on the cover plate and provided with a nger piece 204 to permit it to be released when it is desired to move the subframe |88 to a higher position in order to facilitate changing the holddown bar. This bar is attached to the depending portions |86 by means of long screws (Fig. 1), the heads '206 of which are accessible at the top of the subframe. When this is being done, it is desirable to prevent operation of the clutch, and to this end a lever 2|0 (Fig. 14) is pivoted at 2|| on the fcover plate |10. At the lower end of this lever is a screw 2|2 which may be brought beneath a screw 2|4 on the clutch lever |58. Normally it is held out of the path of said screw by a spring 2|6 which ydraws the lever 2|0 to a position determined by a stop pin 2|8 which extends out from the subframe |88. However, before the subframe can be lifted to its upper position, the stop lever 2|0 must be moved against the tension of its spring by taking hold of a handle 220, and when the subframe has been lifted, the pin 2|8 will engage a curved surface 222 on the stop lever to hold the screw 2 I 2 under the screw 2 I 4.

VThe creaser IB has upwardly extending lugs 230 (Fig. 1) by which it is screw-attached to a support 232 pivoted at 234 (Fig. 3) in flanges 236 extending up from the cover web 30 of the frame.

'This creaser support is a casting having a curved `top portion 238, a center rib 240, and end ribs 242 (Fig. 1). The screws which hold the creaser on its support are also used for attaching blocks 244 (Figs. l and 8) which overlie the holddown |2, so that the lifting of the holddown by means vof the spring |92 is also accompanied by a lift- Ling-of the creaser and, conversely, a spring 246 (Fig. l0) holds the creaser |6 with its blocks 244 is pressed down by its treadle into engagement with the work, the creaser I6 falls and rests lightly in engagement with the work, its rear edge coinciding with the line of fold I4.

As the folder I8 is turned over, it is necessary to raise the creaser I6 independently of the holddown |2 to get it out of the Way. Accordingly, links 250 (Figs. 2 and 10) have been provided which are attached by pins 252 to the folder supporting plates ||2. The upper ends of the links 250 are slotted to engage pins 254 projecting laterally from the end ribs 242 of the creaser support, so that as the supporting plate I2 is moved through a semi-circular path by the action of the eccentrics IIB and ||8, the links will operate to lift the creaser I6 out of the path of the folder. With certain types of work, the creaser is not needed, and hence the slots in the links 250 are made long enough so that the creaser support may be raised to an inoperative position, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 10, and when in that position, the spring 246 will have passed the center of the pivots 234 and will hold the creaser in a raised position limited by engagement of the pins 254 with the .upper ends of the slots in the links 250.

In utilizing the machine for plain work W, the steps of the operation will be normally such as are shown in Figs. 16 and 17. As indicated there, the work is positioned on the table with its margin to be folded overlying the upper face of the folder I8. If a fold of the full width of this face is to be made, then the edge of the work is brought into engagement with the edge gage 20. Depression of the clamp treadle attached to the rod |94 will then bring the creaser I6 and the holddown |2 into the position indicated in Fig. 16 to clamp the work against the table. After this, the clutch treadle attached to the rod |64 will be depressed and preferably immediately released, thereby causing the folder to move to the position shown in Fig. 1'1, the creaser I6 being lifted by the links 250 and, as the fold is substantially completed, the edge gage 20 will slide along the folder I8 into the relation shown in that figure. The completion of the cycle will cause the folder to move through to return to its initial position, and during the latter part of that movement the gage plate will strike the arms 86 and be brought back into its original relation to the folder. The operator will then release the clamp treadle attached to the rod |94, allowing the holddown to be raised by the spring |92, and this will ycarry with it the creaser by reason of the blocks 244.

When the work W has a backing B, the gage plate 20 is allowed to stay in an inoperative position by turning the handle 96 to move to inoperative position the eccentric blocks which support the arms 86. For this sort of folding operation, the work W will be placed upon the table with its margin overlying the upper face of the folder I8, and the clutch treadle attached to the rod |64 will be depressed and hel-d down. The machine Will then travel one-quarter of its cycle, bringing the folder to the position indicated in Fig. 19. The operator will then push the Work away from him to bring the backing B firmly against the upstanding portion of the margin of the work resting against the folder and will depress the clamp treadle rod |94, causing the creaser and the holddown to engage the work. If the clutch pedal is then released, the machine will go through the remainder of its cycle, bring- I ing theffolder over to the position shown 'lin Fig.

V`provided with some-overlying raised portions such `as strips S, then it may be found necessary to Iuse -a folder I 8' designed-to make a -narrower fold than is noramlly employed, 'and vthe creaser may 'be `raised to an inoperative position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 10. -Otherwise the operation will follow thatdescribed in connection with Figs. i

I8 -to 20. For this sort-of work, the spring plates |82 upon the vholddown will-be of assistance 1in 'accommodating the various thicknesses encountered.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure :by Letters Patent Vof the United 4States is:

v1. I-n a .form-folding machine, a work support, -a folder having a work-engaging surface lforming an extension `of the surface of the -work support, and means for supporting said folder for turning movement about an axis substantially coincident with the corner of the folder adjacent to the VWork support, said supporting means being offset lwith respect to said axis of turning movement in order not to interfere with portions of the work extending beyond 'the folder.

'2. In a form-folding machine, a Work support, a Afolder forming an extension of the work support and turnable through approximately 180 to fold the margin of the work, said folder having laterally extending trunnions out of alinement with the axis of turning movement, means movable through a semi-circular path for supporting said trunnions, and means cooperating with the trunnions to turn the folder during said movement.

3. VInv a form-folding machine, a work support, a folder positioned adjacent an edge of the worjk support, said folder having laterally extending trunnions, a carrier for said trunnions, means for moving the carrier to transfer the axis of the trunnions through a semi-circular path extending about the edge of the work support, and a Vlink and crank for turning the folder about the axis of the trunnions during said movement.

4. In a form-folding machine, a Work support, a folder having opposite edges arranged in different angular relations to a side surface of the folder, said folder being positioned so that its edge surface forms an extension of the vwork support to turn up the margin of the work projecting beyond the work support, a movably mounted .Carrier for said folder, and means for detachably mounting 'the folder upon the carrier with either edge in operative relation to the work support.

5. In a form-folding machine, a work support, av folder mounted for movement about an edge of the work support to fold a projecting margin of the work back onto the Work itself, .a gage plate slidably mounted on one face of the folder and projecting above the work-engaging .surface 'thereof whereby it Will serve to position the work Withrespect to the folder and may be displaced by contact with the work as the folder moves through '180 to turn over a margin of the Work. '6. In a form-folding machine, a Work support, `a folder having an edge portion Vforming yan extension of the support, a gage plate displaceably mounted on the side 4of the'folder'opposite yto Asaid support and adapted to be lmoved by Contact with a piecefof vwork on said support at the completion lof the folding movement, and means for returning said gage plate to its operative position where it projects beyond the edge surface of the vfolder during the return movement of the folder.

7. In a form-folding machine, a folder movable to turn a projecting margin of the work over onto `the body of the work, a creaser, means biasing said creaser -downwardly against the work to determine the line of fold, means for moving said folder, and a link connected to said moving means, having a slotted connection to said creaser and arranged to lift the creaser out of the way before the .completion of Vthe movement of the folder, said slotted link permitting manual movement of the creaser to an inoperative position.

8. In a form-folding machine, a work support, :a folder, a creaser for assisting the folder, a holddow-n for gripping the work against the Work support, means for raising said holddown away from the Work support, and interengaging means between the Ycreaser and the holddown for causing the creaser Yto be raised when the holddown is raised and permitting raising of the creaser while the 'holddown remains in Awork-engaging position.

9. In a form-folding machine, a vwork support, a holddown for gripping the work against 'the support, a creaser spring-pressed against the work adjacent to the holddown, and means on said creaser overlying and engaging said holddown for causing the creaser vto follow movements of the holddown while permitting movement of the creaser away Vfrom the holddown at all times.

l0. I-n a form-folding machine, a work support, a creaser vtilt-,ably mounted about an axis for movement to an inoperative position, and a spring positioned to urge Ysaid creaser toward the work support and movable past the axis of the creaser, thereby to hold the creaser in raised inoperative position.

11. In Ya worm-folding machine, a work support, a 'holddown movably mounted on the machine, a spring urging said holddown away from the vwork support, manually controlled means for drawing the holddown against the work on the support, a creaser movably mounted on the machi-ne adjacent to the holddown, and a spring holding said creaser against the holddown ina direction toward the work support.

12. In a form-folding machine, a work support, va 'holddown mounted for movement toward and away from said work support, re'leasable l latch means for limiting the movement of said holddown in one direction, and a spring urging said latch means into movement limiting position.

13. 'In a form-folding machine, a work support, a holddown extending transversely ofthe work support for engagement with the Work 'thereon along a substantially length of the work near the line of fold, anda series of resilient work-engaging fingers on said holddown to accommodate variations in thickness of the work along the length engaged thereby.

v14. In a form-,folding machine, a Work support having a resilient surface, a thin sheet metal strip overlying said resilient surface, means for operating -upon a piecev of work resting on said sheet metal, and means to tensionl said strip.

15. In a form-folding machine, a Work support, a `folder for turning over a margin of the work 'resting on the support, pivotal supports for said Work support positioned at a distance from said folder, springs for urging said Work support toward the folder, said springs being ofi'- center With respect to the median line of the Work support, and independent means for adjusting the relative lifting effect of said springs.

16. In a form-folding machine, a Work support, a folder for turning over a margin of the Work on the support, power-operated means for moving said folder, and operator-controlled means for stopping said folder movement when the latter has reached a position substantially normal to the Work support.

17. In a form-folding machine, a Work support, a folder movable through substantially 180 to turn over a margin of the work, poweroperated means for effecting said movement of the folder, and operator-controlled means arranged When actuated in one direction to stop such movement at an intermediate point and when actuated in another direction to permit a continuation of said movement.

18. In a form-folding machine, a Work support, a holddown adapted to be brought into engagement with the Work, the holddown having a removable Work-engaging portion and being movable to an inoperative position to permit changing of the work-engaging portion thereof, a movably mounted folder, power-operated means for moving said folder, operator-controlled means controlling said power-operated means, and means to prevent movement of said operatorcontrolled means when the holddown is in an inoperative position.

WILLIAM NEIL BRAY. THOMAS GIMSON HUSBANDS. 

